Investigating the relationship between psychological distress, resilience, and demographic variables among adult men and women with cardiac arrhythmias: a cross-sectional study

Patients with cardiac arrhythmias experience unpredictable episodes that disrupt their lives and increase the risk of psychological distress. Research on the prevalence of stress, depression, and anxiety, along with their relationship to resilience and demographic factors among patients with cardiac arrhythmias, is limited. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological distress, resilience, and some of demographic variables in patients with cardiac arrhythmias. This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted among 222 patients diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmias who visited the arrhythmia clinic of a super-specialized cardiology hospital in Tehran. Data were collected using the validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, which had Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.94 and 0.91, respectively. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 software, employing frequency indicators, frequency percentages, Pearson correlation tests, and logistic regression analysis. The patients reported moderate to extremely severe levels of stress (51%), anxiety (88.3%) and depression (71.1%). The average scores for anxiety (P = 0.014) and depression (P = 0.01) among women were significantly higher than those among men. There were no significant differences in the levels of anxiety, stress, and depression between single and married patients or among those who underwent ICD implantation or cardiac surgery compared to other patients. The results of the regression analysis indicated that resilience is associated with a decrease in psychological distress among patients with cardiac arrhythmias (β = -54, p = 0.001). The results of this study indicate that psychological distress is highly prevalent among patients with cardiac arrhythmia, particularly among women. Given the strong association between resilience and psychological distress, it is important to conduct studies that evaluate the effects of resilience-enhancing interventions, such as mindfulness-based approaches, on psychological distress among patients with cardiac arrhythmias.